Islanders may make Josh Bailey available via trade

According to general managers around the NHL, the Islanders may make forward Josh Bailey available via trade (Dreger, June 24).While Bailey may technically be available, it would "take a lot" to get him.Bailey, 24, was drafted with the ninth overall pick in 2008 and is under contract through the 2017-18 season.Bailey had eight goals and 30 assists in 77 games last season for the Islanders.In 406 games played since starting his career in 2008-09, Bailey has scored 66 goals while tallying 111 assists.

Islanders sign Cal Clutterbuck to five-year extension

11:35AM

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New York Islanders right wing Cal Clutterbuck (15) is congratulated after scoring an empty net goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in game one of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. The Islanders defeated the Lightning 5-3. (Kim Klement)

The Islanders have signed Cal Clutterbuck to a five-year extension through the 2022-23 season, the team announced Friday.

Capuano says Islanders have gotten their identity back

New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano watching over his team. (Brad Penner - USA Today)

Brian Erni, SNY.TV:

The Islanders have their groove back, or at least that's certainly how it seems after a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues allowed New York to improve their record to 5-0-1 over their last six contests. Head coach Jack Capuano thinks so too, and he told reporters as much after the team's victory on Tuesday night.

"I just think that we're playing with some resiliency and some emotion to our game right now," Capuano said. "Whether they tie it up, or we're down by one, I think that we have that no-quit attitude. We got our identity back a little bit."

Tavares talks expectations, remaining with Islanders

John Tavares spoke with Joe and Evan of WFAN Wednesday afternoon, covering a wide range of topics which included the team's 4-2 victory over the crosstown-rival New York Rangers, the Islanders' slow start to the season, the ice at Barclays Center, and remaining with the organization for the long haul.

Tavares, who is once again pacing the Islanders offense with 7 goals, 13 assists for 20 points in 25 games this season. He has 2-3-5 over his last five games, with the Islanders' 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last Wednesday in Brooklyn being the only game in which he didn't tally a point during that stretch. He put forth a gritty performance in Tuesday's win over the Rangers while clearly not 100%, as the flu has been making its ugly face shown in the locker room, potting a crucial third-period power play goal to put the game out of reach.

Isles and Blues face off in Brooklyn

Dec 8 | 2:29PM

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New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss (1) plays a puck against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders have spent the last week proving they can play with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. On Thursday night, the Islanders will get a chance to see how they stack up against the red-hot St. Louis Blues, who are the second-best team in the Western Conference.

The Islanders will host the Blues for the only time this season when the two teams square off at Barclays Center. Both clubs won Tuesday, when New York extended its point streak to five games with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers while St. Louis kept rolling with a 3-2 overtime win over the East-leading Montreal Canadiens.

The Islanders (10-10-5) have gone 4-0-1 in their last five games -- a stretch in which they've beaten the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, all of whom currently occupy a playoff spot -- to climb out of the NHL basement and move to the fringe of the East playoff race.

Veterans set the tone as Isles march forward, beat Rangers

This summer, Islanders GM Garth Snow signed Andrew Ladd to a big-money deal and signed Jason Chimera to replace the departed Matt Martin, hoping to add some additional veteran leadership to a team coming off its first playoff round victory in over 20 years.

Even though the offensive numbers have been slow to arrive (Chimera with 4-5-9 in 25 games, but three goals the past five games and Ladd 3-3-6 in 25 games, but 1-2-3 in his last five games), they have combined with existing veterans to help the Islanders out of the type of malaise that struck the team during October (4-5-0) and November (4-5-4).

Shooting from Point Blank Range: Analyzing the Islanders' team president rumors

General view of the ice during the third period between the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

The Islanders are reportedly in the market for a team president to oversee hockey operations. SNY.tv's Brian Erni and Andy Graziano discuss...

Brian Erni, SNY.TV:

Andy, Art Staple reported last week that Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin are looking into hiring a new team president that would oversee the organization, including the general manager position. Darren Dreger says that the team has met with ex-Islanders Pat Lafontaine, Patrick Flatley, and Glenn Healy, as well as ex-Canucks executivesMike Gillis and Laurence Gilman. What do you make of all this?

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Point Blank Podcast: Picking Up Steam

Dec 7 | 1:15PM

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Brian Compton and Mike Carver are elated (for the most part) over Tuesday night's win over the Rangers. The guys discuss Jaroslav Halak's superb performance in net and the Isles' perfect penalty kill. Later, the podcast finally hears directly from its listeners as Brian and Mike respond to voicemails about Scott Mayfield, Andrew Ladd, and Garth Snow.

Islanders' win over the Rangers is big, but there is still work to be done

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Verizon Center. (Geoff Burke)

The Islanders' 4-2 victory over their crosstown rival New York Rangers was as big of a win as the team has had in the 2016-17 season. Don't get me wrong, it's not nearly enough to get this thing turned around on its own. But by taking down the Metropolitan-leading Rangers, it shows the Islanders and their fans that a run back to playoff contention this season, while improbable, is still a possibility.

Now 4-0-1 in their last five games, the Isles should certainly feel like they have some positive momentum. Wins against perennial divisional contenders the Penguins, Capitals, and Rangers have a way of making both the team and the fan base see the glass half-full. But a quick glimpse at the standings shows how difficult it is to pick up points in this era of the NHL.

The Isles are six points back of a playoff spot (albeit with a game in hand over the Caps, who currently hold the second Wild Card), behind six other teams on the outside-looking-in. In order for them to get back into the postseason conversation, they have a lot more heavy lifting to do, particularly inside the Conference, and they know it.

Islanders come away victorious against crosstown-rival Rangers, 4-2

Dec 6 | 9:47PM

Islanders head coach Jack Capuano discusses the team's 4-2 win over the Rangers at Barclays Center.

Andrew Ladd scored in the second period and Jaroslav Halak stopped 36 shots to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the crosstown-rival Rangers on Tuesday night.

John Tavares, Jason Chimera and Scott Mayfield also scored at the Barclays Center to help the last-place Islanders improve to 4-0-1 in their last five games.

Jimmy Vesey and Marc Staal scored for the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist finished with 28 saves. The Rangers have alternated wins and losses in regulation in their last eight games.

Halak beat Lundqvist for the ninth time in their last 10 matchups. Halak had won eight straight - including the last five after joining the Islanders before the 2014-15 season - before Lundqvist ended the streak in the Rangers' 5-3 win in the season opener Oct. 13 at Madison Square Garden. Lundqvist is now 1-6-1 in his last eight against the Islanders.

Boychuck out against Rangers, day-to-day with flu like symptoms

Dec 6 | 6:42PM

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Florida Panthers right winger Reilly Smith (18) controls the puck as New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuck (55) gives chase during the first overtime in game five of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Robert Duyos - (USA Today))

The Islanders will be without defenseman Johnny Boychuck against the Rangers on Tuesday night.

Boychuck, 32, is dealing with flu like symptoms and is considered day-to-day (Islanders, Dec. 5).

In 24 games played this season, Boychuck has scored five goals and recorded four assists.

Tonight's Game: Islanders vs. Rangers

Dec 6 | 6:05PM

New York Islanders left wing Jason Chimera (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Verizon Center. (Geoff Burke)

The Islanders (9-10-5) will face off against the Rangers (17-8-1) in Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

According to STATS:

The Islanders picked up a point for the fourth straight game with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Red Wings on Sunday. The Isles did not allow a power-play opportunity for the first time since December 12, 2015, marking their sixth consecutive game without a power-play goal allowed.

The Rangers have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games following Saturday's 4-2 victory against the Hurricanes. The Blueshirts have scored at least four goals an NHL-high 13 times this season and are a perfect 13-0-0 in those games.

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Islanders take on Rangers in Brooklyn Tuesday

Dec 6 | 2:30PM

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New York Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak (41) celebrates with Islanders center John Tavares (91) after their game against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. (Geoff Burke)

NEW YORK -- There is never any shortage of drama when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers meet. But the Islanders and Rangers each have far more on their minds than local bragging rights as as they prepare for the latest incarnation of one of hockey's best rivalries.

The Islanders will host the Rangers for the first time this season on Tuesday, when the teams are scheduled to meet at Barclays Center. The Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Saturday while the Islanders fell to the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime on Sunday.

"They're always a lot of fun," Islanders center and captain John Tavares said of the games against the Rangers. "Never any love lost in these games, so easy to get up for."

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Islanders will try to be aggressive against the Rangers

New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

The Islanders have points in their last four games, and have nine of a possible 14 over their past seven games. Things are improving. The problem in the era of the loser point, it's hard to make up significant ground once a team puts themselves in a hole. Still, the Isles enter Tuesday night's game against the Rangers optimistic that they can keep their momentum going, and they have a plan to do so: be aggressive.

Everyone is begging the Islanders to open up their system and try to escape the dump-and-chase monotony that has befallen the team over the past year and a half, and for good reason. New York has seen their possession metrics slide all the way to the bottom of the league. Entering play, the Isles are 28th in Corsi For Percentage at even strength, just two teams from the cellar. It stands to reason that if the Isles could tighten up their neutral zone play, ultimately leading to more Zone Entries (as perfectly outlined by Garik16 here), the team would have a lot more success on both ends of the ice.

The problem is that, far too often, the Isles seem contest to flick the puck deep. It kills them against bigger teams that they can't win battles against the boards against, and it looms particularly large late in games when players' legs start to go. It's probably not a coincidence this team has had so many missteps in the final minutes of the third period

Halak, Islanders lose to Red Wings in OT in back-and-forth game

Dec 4 | 8:55PM

Jaroslav Halak allowed the game-winning goal to Danny DeKeyser in overtime after Josh Bailey tied it up late in the third period as the New York Islanders lost to the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3, on Sunday at Barclays Center. >> Read more

Streaking Islanders host Red Wings

Dec 4 | 12:13PM

Thomas Greiss could get the call in goal when the streaking Islanders host the Red Wings Sunday. (Brad Penner)

The Islanders will try to extend their longest winning streak of the season to four games Sunday night when they face Frans Nielsen and the Detroit Red Wings for the first time this season.

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Islanders scratchpad: Thoughts from the week that was

By Andy Graziano | Dec 3 | 9:53AM

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New York Islanders defenseman Dennis Seidenberg (4) during the third period against Philadelphia Flyers at Barclays Center. (Anthony Gruppuso)

Some thoughts from the week that was for the New York Islanders, as they rang up their first three-game winning streak of the season and collected six must have points to remain in the chase for a playoff spot in 2016-17.

It wasn't enough to lift them out of the Metropolitan division basement or the bottom of the Eastern conference but the Islanders were impressive in collecting six points this week, two from high quality opponents. That's not to say the Flames are a pushover by any means, but they were exhausted at the end of their six-game road trip and coming off a back to back. The wins over the Penguins and Capitals were exactly what this team needed at this stage to avoid a complete collapse.

When you've played as poorly as the Islanders early on, it's never too early to begin looking at playoff standings. As of this morning, New York is five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning with two games in hand, but still have seven teams to jump. Earlier in the week, sportsclubstats has the Islanders playoff chances at 3.5%. After the week they had, that increased to 12.7%. Still, an uphill battle at the moment.

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Report: Isles searching for new face to head hockey operations

Dec 2 | 8:50PM

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(Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Islanders owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin have been on a search since the summer to bring in a new executive to run the team's hockey operations, reports Newsday's Arthur Staple.

According to Staple, the new owners have worked to bring in a "big name" that would either work alongside GM Garth Snow or could make changes to the front office.

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Islanders use clutch penalty kill to seal their third straight win

Thursday night's game against Washington had all the makings of a letdown. The Islanders were coming off a hard-fought, last-second win against the Penguins. They had to travel to the nation's capital. Thomas Greiss, who has emerged as the team's number one goaltender, wasn't even dressed.

They had skated hard and played an impressive two periods against the Capitals. But we were all bracing for the inevitable in a scoreless third period, and it came just 37 seconds in: the power play opportunity that would inevitably break New York's back.

After the Isles had killed off their first four chances down a man, two of which came late in the second period, Johnny Boychuk swatted a puck in the air out of play without it touching the glass. The delay of game minor gave Washington another shot on the power play just 29 seconds after Anders Lee's high-sticking penalty had expired, and the Caps were starting to buzz.

Washington hadn't converted on their last eight power plays, and they knew it. They were due, and smelled blood in the water. The way this season had gone, it was only a matter of time before the Capitals set up Alexander Ovechkin for one of his patented blasts from the circle that beat Jaroslav Halak and broke the tie.

Islanders explode in third, beat Caps 3-0 for third straight win

Dec 1 | 6:41PM

The Islanders broke a scoreless tie with three goals in a 3:28 span of the third period to defeat the Capitals 3-0 Thursday in Washington. The Islanders won three in a row for the first time this season.

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Tonight's Game: Islanders at Capitals

Dec 1 | 6:15PM

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New York Islanders celebrate the 3-2 shootout victory against the Anaheim Ducks during at Honda Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

The Islanders (8-10-4) head to Washington D.C. to face off against the Capitals (13-6-2) on Thursday night.

According to STATS:

New York lost a 3-0 third-period lead, but came back to score two times in the last 27 seconds of the game to beat the Penguins, 5-3, last night at Barclays Center. The Islanders have now won back-to-back games for just the second time of the season (also October 21-23).

Washington dropped a 4-2 decision in Toronto last Saturday night, snapping its two-game win streak in the process. The Caps are 4-1-0 in their last five tilts at Verizon Center, outscoring opponents by a combined 17-8 in those contests.

Isles head to Washington looking for third straight win

Dec 1 | 5:00PM

New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

WASHINGTON -- The New York Islanders avoided a disastrous defeat Wednesday night and now have a chance to notch their first three-game winning streak of the season.

The Islanders (8-10-4) squandered a 3-0 third-period lead before Anders Lee scored with 26.6 seconds left and Nikolay Kulemin added an empty netter three seconds later to give New York a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After beating the Penguins, who are second in the Metropolitan Division, the last-place Islanders travel to Washington Thursday for their first meeting of the season with the Capitals (13-6-2), who are tied for third.

Islanders move past November on positive note

The New York Islanders celebrate the game winning goal by New York Islanders center Anders Lee (27) against Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray (30) during the third period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

Remember, remember the month of November. Although that line is modified from the movie 'V for Vendetta', it very much applies to the New York Islanders, who are all too happy to move past their month of horrors and see the calendar flip to December 1.

Going back to the 2011-12 season, the 11th month of the year was not too kind to head coach Jack Capuano and his squad. New York went 4-7-2 and 4-10-1 in back to back full seasons, putting them firmly behind the proverbial eight ball as the season ticked past the thin red line that separates the playoffs from an early golf outing. Things seemed to improve in 2014-15 with a monster 11-3-0 month before the team tailed off yet again the following season with a mark of 7-6-1.

If you're counting at home, that's 26-26-4 over the past four full seasons heading into 2016-17. With New York just completing their November last night at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a game they would will themselves to win 5-3 after surrendering a 3-0 third-period lead, it gave the Islanders a 4-5-4 mark this time around, just 46% of all possible points and only 2 regulation wins in 13 tries.

Scott Mayfield steps up big, tallies two points in win over Pens

Dec 1 | 2:15PM

Scott Mayfield had played just once since he was called up earlier this month, but that didn't stop the rookie for contributing in a big way in Wednesday night's win over the Penguins.

Mayfield played 14:22, registered a shot on goal, and tallied his first two NHL assists in the team's 5-3 victory at Barclays Center.

"I thought Scotty Mayfield stepped in and did a really good job," Jack Capuano told reporters after the game.

Mayfield, 24, has now played in 13 career NHL games. He was a second round draft pick by the Islanders in 2011.

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Anders Lee rescues Islanders for big win against Penguins

By Brian Erni | Dec 1 | 12:45PM

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(Brad Penner)

If you went to bed after the second period of Wednesday night's game, I wouldn't have blamed you. The Islanders were leading the reigning Stanley Cup champions, 3-0, and the nationally-televised start time of 8:00 had pushed the third period an hour later than usual.

So if you figured the Isles would win -- and even if they didn't, you didn't want to witness blowing a three-goal lead - you are forgiven for hitting the hay.

However, you missed a fireworks factory which included New York blowing that lead, then scoring three seconds apart in the final minute to put the icing on the most feel-good win of the season

Islanders score two late, hold off Penguins for win

Nov 30 | 10:54PM

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Nov 30, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders left wing Jason Chimera (25) celebrates his goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with New York Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan (44) and New York Islanders left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72) during the second period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

The Islanders look for their second victory in a row as they take on the rival Penguins at Barclays Center on Wednesday night.

According to STATS...

The Penguins haven't played since Saturday, when they beat the New Jersey Devils, 4-3 in a shootout, in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has not had consecutive wins sin November 5 & 8 (at San Jose, vs. Edmonton). In their last three games, the Penguins are 0-for-11 on the power play and have allowed five power-play goals in just nine opponent power-play opportunities.

Islanders ranked 18th most valuable NHL franchise

Nov 30 | 4:00PM

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Nov 18, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

The Islanders are said to have a team value of $385 million, which is good for the 18th spot in the NHL, according to Forbes.

Forbes calculated the value of the team to have increased 18 percent from last year.

New team owners, Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin, paid $485 million to become majority owners, replacing Charles Wang, who is now a minority investor in the team.

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Shooting from Point Blank Range: When should Dal Colle and Ho-Sang arrive?

New York Islanders right wing Josh Ho-Sang (66) carries the puck past Philadelphia Flyers center Chris VandeVelde (76) during the second period during a preseason hockey game at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline)

When should Islanders prospects Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang get the call? SNY.tv's Brian Erni and Andy Graziano discuss...

With the Isles seven points out of a playoff spot, a lot of fans are clamoring to see the future crop of forwards in Brooklyn. Andy, do you think Michael Dal Colle and/or Josh Ho-Sang should get the call to the big club at some point this season?

Barzal invited to Canada's World Juniors camp

Nov 29 | 4:10PM

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New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) and New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) battle for a loose puck during the first period during a preseason hockey game at Madison Square Garden. (Andy Marlin)

Barzal was on Canada's National Junior Team for last year's World Juniors, and registered three points on two goals and an assist in Canada's five games before being eliminated by Finland in the quarterfinals.

Canada will host the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship for the 12th time this year. The tournament will feature 31 games between 10 nations.

Point Blank Podcast: Strome sits -- again

Nov 29 | 1:55PM

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Brian Compton and Mike Carver are back with another depression-filled podcast filled with some of our old favorites: RyanStrome's benching, late-game losses, and rumors of a change that will never come true. Plus, Arthur Staple of Newsday calls in to the fun for his take on the team, and his thoughts on the likelihood of the Islanders reaching out to former Panthers head coach, Gerard Gallant.

Heroic Hickey comes up big yet again for Islanders

By Andy Graziano | Nov 29 | 12:17PM

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New York Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey (14) celebrates his game winning goal against the Calgary Flames with New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) during the overtime period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

To say Thomas Hickey has a knack for the dramatic could be the understatement of the 27-year-old Calgary native's New York Islanders career. Once again, New York was up against the odds, down a defenseman due to a late second period injury to Adam Pelech and forced to play the remainder of the game rotating the five still standing.

Having tied the most minutes he has played over the past six games, 19:48, the diminutive yet tough and rugged Hickey found himself as the lone defenseman in the three on three extra session, on the ice with captain John Tavares and Shane Prince.

However, defense was hardly on his mind as he set up shop to the right of Calgary goaltender Brian Elliott and deflected Tavares' floater from the high slot between the netminder's arm and watched it roll into the cage, giving his team a much needed, if slightly unearned, two points.

Tonight's Game: Islanders vs. Flames

Nov 28 | 6:05PM

New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy (2) skates during the third period in game five of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. (Kim Klement)

The Islanders (6-10-4) will face off against the Flames (10-13-1) at Barclays Center on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.

According to STATS:

The Flames lost, 5-3, in Philadelphia last night, snapping their two-game win streak, and dropping to 3-2-0 on the current road trip. Calgary is 2-2-1 in the second of back-to-back tilts this season.

New York dropped a 3-2 decision in San Jose on Friday, losing its second straight game, and for the sixth time in the last seven contests overall (1-4-2 record). The Isles are 3-2-1 when getting two or more days off between tilts this season.

Islanders welcome Flames to Barclays Center

Nov 28 | 4:10PM

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New York Islanders left wing Andrew Ladd (16) in the third period of the game against San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. (Stan Szeto)

NEW YORK -- The Calgary Flames are staying afloat during a six-game Eastern Conference road trip. They will try to close the trek out in winning style Monday when they face the skidding New York Islanders at Barclays Center.

Both teams are coming off losses. Calgary fell to the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 Sunday night, while New York dropped a 3-2 decision to the Sharks in San Jose on Friday. The Islanders return home to open a brief two-game homestand.

The Flames already ensured themselves of at least a .500 trip (3-2-0). They enter play Monday two points behind the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Isles should call former assistant Gerard Gallant immediately

It's hard not to notice that the Islanders are in a jam, and it has put both their head coach and their general manager on the hot seat. But believe it or not, Jack Capuano is not the first head coach to get the axe this season, as the Florida Panthers dismissed former Islanders assistant coach Gerard Gallant late on Sunday night. But Forida's loss could be New York's gain, and the team should pick up the phone, if they haven't already.

Gallant was as an assistant coach for the Islanders from 2007 to 2008 before becoming a special assistant to GM Garth Snow.

"Gerard has been an essential member of our coaching staff," Snow said at the time. "He will serve as a valuable asset within the hockey operations department."

With the New York Islanders just finishing the first quarter of their 2016-17 schedule and residing in last place in the National Hockey League standings with a record of 6-10-4, we took to social media to poll a reasonably anxious fan base about who they might want to see in an Islanders sweater should Garth Snow, rumored to be working the phones, swing a deal.

Of course, this exists only on social media, in a perfect world, without giving specifics about what the Islanders might have to send out to make such a player attainable. Being an NHL general manager is certainly not easy, but it's much easier using the "PS4 X button" mentality.

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Islanders to work with Russian analytics group

Nov 26 | 4:30PM

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Nov 25, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; New York Islanders celebrate a scored goal in the first period of the game against San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. (Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)

Looking to boost their performance, the Islanders have signed on with a Russian analytics group to track statistics and other elements of the team, according to a Bloomberg report.

Iceberg, which has already worked with a team in Russia's KHL, is bringing along the Islanders and the Vaxjo Lakers of Sweden to use its data system.

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It's time for the Islanders to trade or bench Chimera

By Brian Erni | Nov 26 | 3:00PM

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Nov 25, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; New York Islanders left wing Jason Chimera (25) watches the puck in the third period of the game against San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. The San Jose Sharks defeated the New York Islanders with a score of 3-2. (Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)

The Islanders are off to a brutal start, and that includes Jason Chimera.

Chimera has one goal and five assists and has placed in each of the team's first 20 games.

Chimera, 37, was signed to a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Islanders on the first day of free agency.

I've never been an alarmist when it comes to hockey. I made a conscious decision to not judge the team or player performance on a game-by-game basis, instead choosing to take the "wait and see" approach until a more complete body of work is available for analysis. Some people will use five games as their measuring stick. Others, ten. In my world, it's always been about quarters. It seems like a fair enough length of time to allow for a body of work before making rash judgments.

The New York Islanders hit that quarter mark yesterday, playing their 20th game in an 82-game season. There have been few positives and an entire laundry list of negatives in 2016-17 to this point for a team supposed to be on the rise. A team expected to be past the follies of the past, coming off two exciting 100-point seasons and their first playoff round win in over 20 years.

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Islanders' late-game failures continue to kill season

Nov 26 | 11:07AM

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Nov 25, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks celebrate after scoring the winning goal in the last 22 seconds of the third period of the game against New York Islanders at SAP Center at San Jose. The San Jose Sharks defeated the New York Islanders with a score of 3-2. (Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)